Back to Reality

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For the Red Dwarf episode, see Back to Reality (Red Dwarf episode).

Back to Reality was a reality television show featuring reality television stars from previous reality television programs. The February 2004 show was advertised by Five as being "The biggest reality show of all time" however in terms of ratings, it failed to deliver. The 12 contestants spent 3 weeks in a studio built mansion, with no natural sunlight. In the final two weeks, the public voted for their favourite housemate with the two people with the lowest votes every 3/4 nights being put to the housemate vote, where the other contestants has to vote for who they wanted to leave.

The show's presenters, Richard Bacon and Tess Daly, were criticised and the contestants threatened to walk out after just a few days in the house. The ratings rarely went over 1.6 million despite the show extending its hours (early morning and afternoon live streaming). The lack of ratings was put down to the lack of tabloid interest in the show, despite the sponsoring of the show by popular celebrity magazine 'Heat' and the constant arguments and major events that happened in the house. Events included the threatened walk-out of the contestants after Nick Bateman was referred to as 'Nasty Nick', the planned addition of Jade Goody's then boyfriend Jeff Brazier (from the reality TV show Shipwrecked) as a thirteenth contestant, Uri Geller walking out, the suspicion of Josie D'Arby being a mole (and the subsequent arguments and divides), the love interest between James Hewitt and Sarah Kozer, the rushing of Jade Goody to hospital and the 'Ricardo Incident' when the flamboyant cross-dresser argued with other housemates and then preceded to destroy the kitchen. The show ended when the public voted The Games star James Hewitt to be the winner with Maureen Rees coming second. Since the show, Five have confessed that Back to Reality was an expensive but worthwhile experiment however it is unlikely to return.